•Delta flood victims get Tinubu’s, Omo-Agege’s cash, relief items
The Presidency has intervened in the altercations that trailed the flood in Bayelsa State and the reaction of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, on the situation.
During last Thursday’s weekly ministerial briefing hosted at the Presidential Villa in Abuja by the Presidential Communication Team, the minister had said Bayelsa was not among the 10 most hit states by flooding this year.
She was reacting to the comments by Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, and Governor Douye Diri, at different fora.
Umar Farouq’s clarifications had been followed by more negative reactions, most of which described her as insensitive and others calling for her resignation over her comment.
But reacting to the development yesterday in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the Presidency expressed sadness over the flooding which claimed lives and billions of naira in property across Bayelsa and other states.
It said the calls for the minister’s resignation over her comment were inappropriate in the current circumstance, adding that efforts focused at salvaging the current disaster across the country had been overwhelming for the agencies tasked with delivering materials to the affected persons.
Also, flood victims in Delta State have started receiving cash and relief materials estimated at N200 million donated by All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the party’s Delta State governorship candidate, Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege.
The beneficiaries started getting the cash and materials yesterday.
The money and materials, initially housed by the Coordinator of Delta Central APC Campaign Organisation, Chief Ominimini Obiuwevwi, were given to leaders of the affected communities for onward distribution to the flood victims in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the three senatorial districts of the state.
The items included bags of rice, beans, salt, blankets, seasoning cubes, mosquito nets, clothes, roofing sheets, nails, among others.
Speaking during the distribution, Chief Obiuvwevwi said the development was in line with last week’s promises by Asiwaju Tinubu and Senator Omo-Agege to bring succour to displaced flood victims.
The coordinator added that the three camps visited by the party last week were given N5 million each, while 15 other camps would get N2.3 million each and materials shared equally across the three senatorial districts.
The IDP camps that got N5 million each are those at Patani (Delta South), Utagba Ogbe Technical College (Delta North) and Okwagbe Secondary School (Delta Central).
IDP centres in Delta South that got N2.3 million each include those at Bomadi Town; Tuono in Burutu and Isaba in Warri South West; Inorin, Warri South; the late Senator Okpozo’s compound in Ozoro, Isoko North as well as Joel Onovwakpo Thomas Campaign headquarters in Emede, Isoko South Local Government Area.
Also, centres in Delta North that got N2.3 million each include NDDC IDP Camp, Kwale, Ndokwa West; DESOPADEC IDP Camp, Ndokwa East LGA; Ewulu Mixed Secondary School IDP Camp, Ewulu, Aniocha South LGA; Basic Secondary School, Illah, Oshimili North and Onne Primary School Cable Point, Asaba, Oshimili South.
Similarly, Evwreni town hall in Ughelli North; Uwheru Grammar School in Ughelli North; Emadadja Community IDP, Udu LGA; Eghereka Secondary School, Ewu-Urhobo, Ughelli South and Aladja Community IDP, Udu LGA all in Delta Central all received N2.3 million cash.
The Swiss government has donated $756,000 to support the humanitarian response to the devastating floods in Nigeria.
The government explained that its intervention was in response to a recent emergency appeal by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).